


Listening to Shatters

by CoffeeQuills



Series: Dispirited [2]
Category: Ghost Hunt
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Multi, Protectiveness, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2019-08-29 20:23:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16750942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeQuills/pseuds/CoffeeQuills
Summary: Wounds have healed, nightmares are only thrice a week, and SPR's tackling a new case at a haunted theme park. Splitting into day and night teams, the team tries to understand the connections between ghostly children, invisible perverts, and the physic feedback coming from the House of Mirrors. Bou-san finds himself once again scrambling to save everyone...but can anyone save him?





	1. Carnival Coincidences (Lin's POV)

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Hunt in any way, shape, or form. I just like to play with the characters.
> 
> Warnings: Later chapters will contain violence and injury descriptions - you have been warned.

 

   _Monday afternoon - SPR Office_

* * *

 

Lin walked into the room, but that action wasn't what drew Mai and Naru's attention to him, he was sure. For Mai, it had to be the curly-headed blonde woman chatting at his side, passion and energy rolling off her like perfume. For Kazuya, it was the picture the two of them gave off with their professionally cut suits; his darker vest and tie contrasting with her bright red top hat, and the gold lines that squiggled down the black sides of her penguin-tailed coat.

_Try not to stare so openly at clients._

 "Ahem," Lin cleared his throat, bringing his coworkers back from wherever their thoughts had wandered. "I'd like to present Mrs. Melinda Kawai, ringmistress of the Carnival theme park on the outskirts of Tokyo. She was a little hesitant to come here directly, so we met first at Tully's for a cup of coffee."

 "Please, call me Melly," the woman said, doffing her top hat, then rolling it down her arm to catch it in her slim fingers. "Melinda makes me sound like my mother, and the woman's been dead for years, thank God in Heaven."

 "Um, nice to meet you," Mai piped up, tearing her eyes away from the outfit to put down her pen and notebook. "Can I get you some tea? Coffee?"

 Melly smiled, placing her top hat on the coat rack near the door. Under the black, red, and gold suit jacket was a faded red shirt with ruffles and lace. Complementing the top half was a long black skirt with more lines and symbols in red and gold. Her shoes were boots, which, in the few minutes it took to unlace them, allowed Lin to grab his slippers and move into the main room.

 "Coffee again please. Being the ringleader of my park is a job that consumes my time, my sleep, and my energy."

  _I think being the leader of anything consumes all that and more._

 "Haven't I read about Carnival in the news recently?" Naru had been standing in the doorway, blocking Mai's way. "Two teas as well."

 Lin hid a smile as she stuck her tongue out at Naru when Melly was looking around the room. Then she disappeared into the small side kitchen.

 Kawai's smile dimmed.

 "Please, have a seat," offered Lin, gesturing toward the couches and chairs. "This is who I was talking about."

 "Ah, just the right person to help me out then." She sat in one of the chairs, leaving Naru and Lin the couch. "At least, that's how you introduced him, and that's how I'll need him."

 Melly turned back to Naru.

 "Yes, we've been in the news recently, and while supposedly there's no such thing as bad publicity, my profits and intake would like to disagree."

 Mai came back into the room with a tray, handing over the coffee first on a little saucer, two creams and sugars on one side and a small spoon on the other.

 "Thank you dear," said Kawai-san, letting out a sigh. "Ah, caffeine... add it to chocolate and truly, there is the ambrosia of the gods."

  _Or a nice cup of Hong-Kong style tea, but to each their own._

 "You're welcome," said Mai. "And your theme park is really fun, my friends and I loved going there." She blushed a little bit. "We haven't been back in a while actually, just too much to do with university."

 "Understandable, and it's good to hear you remember us fondly, but not many still think like that." Two sugars went in, but no cream. "There are the newer parks now, indoor with electronic games and anime collaborations, such as Namjatown, or outside ones with water rides for the hot summers, like Toshimaen. And that's not competing against concerts, live performances, or other forms of enticing entertainment." She blew on the hot liquid, then took a tiny sip. "However, I love my home, my people, and my job, so I'm happy enough to limp from year to year."

 "You're here for a different kind of help though." Naru took his tea from Mai with a nod. "Besides marketing and publicity. According to the papers, you, your park, and your customers are being haunted."

 "...it's still strange to have another person accept that rationally. Most people say the word 'haunted' and others laugh."

 Mai's smile slipped a little; Lin watched as Naru's eyes flickered towards her.

 "We've seen and been through enough that it's something we no longer laugh at, if we ever did, and we're not going to laugh at you," Naru said in a calm voice. "Quite the opposite in fact."

  _T_ _ruth._ Lin shut the door on his memories of the cave system in the woods, the cave by the sea. _This will be a good chance to stay away from caves for a while._

 "I know we briefly went over everything at Tully's, but I'd like to hear the details you left out before, now that I have a computer in front of me. Could you go over everything again?" asked Lin, moving into action. He pulled over the company laptop from near Mai's notebook, and opened a new document within a few clicks. "I haven't read the papers, and I'd like to hear of those incidents in your own words before I go looking for the articles."

  _And I know you were leaving out information earlier, in case you were overheard._

 Melly nodded, taking another sip from her mug and wrapping her hands around it.

 "Mind you, I don't have the dates in my head. That's all in the paperwork at the office... but the first problem started with the damned complaints. One person came in, an irate woman, saying that someone had pinched her ass. We reviewed the tapes of course; I won't stand for that shit at my park. There's where our luck was on both sides of the toss up. She'd been standing in an area that was in full fucking view of the cameras, which meant that all of us saw it. Nothing. No one. She'd been completely alone the entire time. Woman was scared, her face going white after seeing that, and we were left wondering what the hell had happened. Oh, sorry about the cussing. Akira tried to cure me of that years ago, but it never took."

 "Akira is...?"

 "Was. Akira was my husband." Another sip of coffee. "He died a few years ago of a heart attack."

 "Oh!" said Mai, her exclamation catching Melly's attention. "I'm sorry to hear that.”

 "It takes a while to get used to. Not having anyone to share the good things with, or even to help spread out the stress of the bad things. I could have used his presence for this, because it got worse. After her, more and more complaints, all from women, began pouring in. Most of them we could check through the cameras, but like before, nothing. Then, there were the kids."

 "Most of them?"

 "Kids?"

 Melly nodded at Mai, but answered Lin’s query.

"Most of them meaning we have some... private, or half-concealed places due to placement of the cameras. We don't normally worry about them, but then this shit start up. And the kids thing wasn't me, but one of my workers. He saw a small child playing alone. When he asked if the kid was lost, the kid giggled, and said he was playing with his new friends. Pointed around him, named them, said what the looked liked even. New guy thought it was cute, you know, little kids making up invisible friends. Until the story started circling around the break rooms. One of my older employees, who’s been with me for years, recognized all of the kids. They died at, or around, our park."

 "What?!"

  _That was certainly something she didn’t mention at the cafe._

 "Provide us names to get started with, or the events they were involved in, and we can start an investigation from that angle as well," commented Lin, his fingers flying over the keyboard.

 Melly nodded, a hand stroking her chin as she shut her eyes.

 "Those never go away. Five kids in all, and hopefully no more than that."

 The sound of typing intensified.

 "Years ago, before all the cars started getting cameras to check blind spots, there was an accident in our parking lot. One of the cars backing out didn't see the kid. Another child was 'pranked,'" spat Melly, eyes narrowing in anger, "by her older brother, and ended up dying because of it."

  _Pranked. That’s a new one._

 "You don't think that was an accident?" Naru's voice slid in, solid as ice.

 "No, I don't, but I don't blame the kid either." Melly took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "My anger's pointed firmly at the family. I did a side investigation on them, after I had to answer questions about bruising patterns. From what I could gather, both parents were abusive, and the girl was growing up, if you catch my meaning. The police ultimately was ruled it as a joke gone wrong since they lacked evidence, but my personal opinion?" She opened her eyes. "I think the brother found a way to save her."

  _Ah. I understand the word choice now._

 "That's horrible," whispered Mai, eyes wet and watery. She was still holding the tray, which was the only reason her hands weren't shaking.

 "Agreed." Melly nodded, then shrugged. "I did all I could. Helped the police, kept myself well away from those damned 'parents.' Also told the kid that he has a job with me as long as the park's open."

 "And does he work for you now?"

  _He could be another point to work from._

 She looked at Lin.

 "Yeah. His sister's accident happened at one of the attractions, so I have him working in the cafe. Graduated junior high, never went to high school, but he’s hardworking. Good enough worker to keep him on anyhow, no matter my promise."

 "The others?" asked Lin,pulling the conversation back to its main topic.

  _Better to get this over with than to drag it out._

 Melly sighed, letting her head roll back so she could look at the ceiling.

 "Two others were the park's fault. One of my ride operators let someone under the height requirement on, and the kid was injured. Died a few days later at the hospital after complications. Another kid was able to slip through some broken barriers around a ride to grab a hat. He was kicked in the head; died instantly."

"What about the final one?"

 "The last one was a damned shame, something that none of us could have prevented. One of the few actual accidents that just... happen” She shrugged. “Kid got one of our lollipops, fell, and jammed the stick into his throat. Choked to death before he could get to the hospital."

 There was a silence in the room.

 "Your park is still open?"

_Every time you’re this blunt, I’m surprised you weren’t given the nickname of Frank._

 Melly raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse you? Do you still drive a car? Do you know how many accidents happen with cars?"

  _Point for her._ Thought Lin, looking over to where Naru was stiffening.

 "Oh. God, I’m sorry," apologized Melly, her lips pressed firm as she read Naru’s body language. "I didn't know that would be a sore spot for you,I was just using it…. as for the park, I've taken responsibility for all I can, and somethings that I probably didn't need to, so-."

 "It's fair," acknowledged Naru, interrupting her ramble with a raised hand. "And my own apologies for insinuating. Is there anything else that you can tell us?"

_Blunt and yet not without charm._

 Melly shrugged, chugging the rest of her coffee.

 "There's one more thing. Two people have gone home to..." she paused. "Commit crimes after visiting us. Violent crimes. Neighbors have all said it didn't seem like them, and the police have said it's just a coincidence, but I don't believe it."

 "Why?" asked Mai.

 "Call it a hunch, sweetie." She set her eyes on Lin, then looked at Naru. "Either my park is haunted, and I want to get rid of the ghosts, or someone's taking advantage of me, and I want them dealt with. Can you help?"

 Lin nodded, and Naru just gave a thoughtful hum.

 "Ghosts yes. Proving someone's harassing you, possibly. Anything other than that you'll need to take to the police. You'll also need to provide expenses, and either allow me to set up our camera system, or let us tap into yours."

_We don’t have enough cameras to cover an entire theme park._

 "Mine please," said Melly. "I don't need complaints of strange cameras and perverts. Lodging and food will be given for free up at the park since I also own a small hotel near the property; easier to entice guests into staying the weekend that way. How many people do you think you'll be bringing?"

 "I need to ask my staff first,” said Naru, exchanging a glance with Lin. “But at the least, there will be three of us, at the most, there will be seven."

  _Seven?_ Lin stifled a groan, schooling his face to not show any of the thoughts whirling around his head. _He’s leaving out Houshou again._

 "I'll get rooms ready for seven."

 "Do you think we'll need that?" asked Mai. "I mean, so far it's just perverts and coincidences."

 "No, but I do believe that whatever this problem is, it needs to be shot to hell with as much gun power as I'm allowed." Melly's smile was full of teeth. "And that's you guys."

 "Lin, please give Mrs. Kawai a contract, and explain what we'll be doing at the park. I'm going to contact the others." Naru gave a nod to the ringmaster, then walked into the side office, followed closely by Mai. Lin went over to the cabinet, straining his ears to hear the conversation.

 "Are you okay? What she said about the car-"

  _Mai and her big heart_.

 He grabbed the file folder with the blank contracts.

 "I'm fine, and I know she didn't mean anything by it. I'll contact John and Ayako."

  _But not, I notice, our resident monk._

 "I'm already messaging Osamu; he says he's in, and he'll start researching the incidents with Carnival." There came a pause. "What about Bou-san? You said seven out there, not eight."

  _Good Mai. Call him out._

 Naru made noise.

 "Do you think he's not healed enough? I mean, I know he just got his cast taken off, and we've had a few cases, but-"

  _If Ayako says he’s healed, then he’s healed. After Kiryu, I don’t think she’s going to let him out of her sight._

 "We were able to solve them without Houshou. Just you, me, and Lin. This case though... “ there was a pause, so Lin set the paper on the top of the cabinet and began to fill out the company sections. “It looks to be bigger than those others we took. I agree with Mrs. Kawai in that regard, I don't think they're coincidences, and it would be better to be prepared."

 "Then why not... do you think-" Mai broke off, and Lin could easily imagine her rubbing the back of her neck. Naru waited. Lin waited. "Do you think this will be like Kiryu?"

  _Good question Mai._

 "No. I honestly don't think we'll have another Kiryu. That seems to be a once-in-a-lifetime incident."

 "That would be fine by me," she muttered, making Lin lean in to hear her words, "if it was."

  _You’ll find no argument from anyone here._  

 "I think this will be like most of our other cases. Gather data and exorcise the ghosts. Still..." Naru paused. "I'd rather Houshou heal a little bit longer. Contact Osamu, and I'll talk to the rest. Meeting's at five in the office."

_Five… Houshou’s usually at band practice until seven or eight…_ Lin waited, but the only thing he heard was Kazuya on the phone.

 "Yes, could I speak with Father Brown please? It's Shibuya Kazuya calling."

 The door opened, and Lin stood straight, filling in the small details such as day rates and how many people would be on the job.

 

* * *

_Monday 17:00 SPR Office_

 

* * *

 

 

"And that's the case," said Lin, handing out papers to the seated group.

 "Could they really be connected, or just an unlucky set of coincidences?" John was scanning over the papers even as he asked the question.

 Naru shrugged.

 "That's what we're being paid to find out."

 "I'll get started on the newspaper articles," volunteered Osamu. "And see if I can unearth anything about the people involved."

_Note to self - give Osamu the notes I’ve already gathered._

 "Is Houshou coming?" asked Ayako, looking over her paper at Naru.

  _I wonder what your excuse will be?_

 "He's currently at band-"

 The door banged open, Bou-san apologizing about being late for the meeting, tripping over his feet, and trying not to land on his guitar, all at the same time. Twisting so that his back hit the wall, the musician-monk was able to keep his feet long enough to carefully set everything down, panting a little at the end.

  _Ah. It seems that excuse won’t be needed._

 Lin turned his back to the commotion, hiding a small smile.

 "What?" Houshou asked, noticing that everyone was staring at him. “I’m fine. I didn’t fall.”

 "Your practice was until seven," said Naru.

 "Lin told me about the meeting, so I squared it with the band. I always do."

  _So easily thrown under the bus._

 Lin received Naru’s glare, but didn't react at all. The rest of the SPR members sat quietly in their seats, probably sensing the rising tension in the room and not wanting to draw any attention to themselves.

 "Naru," sighed Houshou, cracking his neck to the side and taking a deep breath before fixing his gaze on their boss. "Did you deliberately not tell me about this meeting?"

  _Yes._

 "You need to heal a little bit longer," said Naru, side-stepping the question. "You died. Had a knife shoved into your chest after being subjected to an honestly insane amount of torture. I wouldn't use a gadget that was almost fixed, I'd wait until it was completely fixed."

 Both Lin and John winced at that analogy as Ayako sucked in air between her teeth.

 "... did Naru just call Bou-san a gadget?" Mai whispered to Osamu.

  _This needs to be over with._

 Off to the side of the room, Lin let out a sigh.

  _This storm has been a long time coming. Better to withstand the thunder at some point than to keep backing away from the advancing black clouds._

 "First off," Houshou ticked his fingers, "I'm not a thing that needs you to fix it, I'm a human being with cells that can repair themselves. Second, that wasn't **my** chest that got stabbed, just like it wasn't **my** body that died, bleeding out on the floor. Third, and finally, I. Am. Healed. I have a clean bill of health from the hospital, my final cast came off last week, and I've even had a few days without nightmares." He jerked a thumb at Ayako. "She's the one who issued it, so if you don't think I'm healed, then you're also saying that she's lying."

 "I'm not saying Matsuzaki-san is lying," said Naru, noticing the doctor folding her arms over her chest.

  _In a roundabout way, yes, you are._

 "Funny," Ayako said, no mirth on her face as she cocked her head. "That's what I'm hearing."

 "I'm saying," said Naru, "that you may need more mental, emotional healing before throwing yourself back into our line of work."

 "And that's why I speak with Dr. Darren, John's friend. You know, the trained therapist I've been seeing at least three times a week since Kiryu, sometimes more." Houshou suddenly stopped, the color draining from his face.

 "That's why you don't tell me about new cases anymore," he said, his voice toneless. "You think that I'm worthless. That I can't be fixed."

  _And this is not the path we need to take._

 "No," interrupted Lin, stepping forward, "we don't, and no, Naru doesn't either” He shot a sharp glace as his charge went to open his mouth, but thankfully thought better of it. “Naru is, however, worried about how you might react when back out into the field, so he wanted to ask you privately, after the meeting."

  _Anything’s possible._

 Houshou snorted at that, but his face regained a bit of color.

 "Fine. Naru, I don't buy Lin's argument for a second, but let's pretend that was true. Since I'm here, you're going to let me know about this case, right?"

 "Of course he is," agreed Lin, speaking for Naru and walking over to hand Houshou the papers.

 "Will you be with us?" John asked. Lin shot him a look of thanks, but the priest ignored it, along with the annoyed look Naru gave him.

  _Probably for the best._

 "I can't come out until tonight, but yes. I'm in." He turned to Naru. "Unless the boss says that I'm not."

 "Would you listen to me if I did?" asked Naru, his voice acidic.

  _I don’t think either one of you are listening to each other right now._

 "Not unless you gave a factual reason."

 Naru looked around the room, reading between the lines. Lin inclined his head slightly.

  _You need him back; we need him back._

 "It seems I'm outnumbered in my desire," he said to cheers, "however!"

 The sharp tone cut through the noise.

 "If you are hurt, you need to step to the side."

 "I'll do that," promised Houshou, nodding his head and holding Naru's gaze. "If, in return, you'll not make that decision for yourself. That you'll trust me to say if I'm in too much pain, or that I can't handle it."

  _I’m not sure either of you can keep those promises, so that will be something to look forward to._

 The two of them stared at each other, neither one looking away. Lin coughed. In the background, it was quiet enough to hear Masako drink her tea.

 "...deal," said Naru, getting up to shake Houshou's hand. "Right. Some of you already told me that you can't make it up there for tomorrow morning, so we're going to go up in shifts. Mai, John, Masako, and I will go up first. We're going to go around the theme park during the day and see if we can spot anything; several of the incidents have occurred then so there's a chance. The night shift, Ayako, Lin, Osamu, and Houshuo, will be able to gather data at night for a comparison. After that, we'll meet in the afternoon to compare details."

  _Well, I guess it was good that I slipped up and wrote eight people instead of seven._

 "How are you all going to get up there?" asked Houshou.

 "We'll take the trains and bus," answered Naru. "Mai and I will go up first to see how Mrs. Kawai's camera system is set up, then Masako and John will join when their previous engagements have ended. Houhous and Ayako can take a car together, and Osamu will be with Lin, which will allow us to bring up the rest of our equipment, and anything else that we've forgotten."

 "Yes, yes, yes, thank you test gods!" exclaimed Osamu, pumping his fist and startling everyone. "Lin, I need to pick your brain for my Chinese history test, it's coming up next month. Can I ask you questions on the ride up? I want my essay to stand out from the rest of the class."

  _No surprise there. Oh well, there could be worse car companions._

 Lin chuckled.

 "I'm not sure how much information I'll be able to give you, but you're welcome to ask. Just realize that I might refer you to Google since it's been a while."

  _And if Naru were with me, I think I’d get the silent treatment for the whole ride._

 "Done and done," said Osamu, eyes shining.

 "Everyone knows what to do?" asked Naru. There was a chorus of nods and agreements. "Good. I'll see you all tomorrow night."

 Conversations erupted around the room as Lin went back to where he’d been standing before.

  _Somehow, I don’t think it’s over yet._

 "Mai, you've got that religion paper due tomorrow morning right? I can turn it in for you if you leave it with me."

 "Great, let me go print it out at the 7-11 then. Come with me?"

 Osamu gave her a thumbs up, swiping his backpack and waiting for Mai to finish gathering her things.

 "You did finish it, right?"

 "No, I'm going to give my professor a half-completed paper," snarked Mai, walking past Osamu and into the hallway. "Seriously? What kind of question..." Her voice trailed off as they moved further away.

_Not the ones I was worried about._

 "Masako, may I wait with you for your ride?" asked John

 She smiled and nodded, allowing the priest to help her up from her chair.

 "That would be lovely, thank you. Should we continue our conversation on life after death and ghosts?"

 "I think we left off at the fact that only some people turn into ghosts, and that it's not everyone involved in a traumatic death."

_Hmm… I would have thought John would stay, but he’ll probably talk to Houshou tomorrow._

 The two of them left as well, John waving goodbye to the remaining people in the room before turning back to Masako.

  _And I certainly expected Ayako to be waiting behind._

 "I assume Houshou is waiting to speak with me, but why are you two still here?" asked Naru bluntly, looking at Ayako and Lin. “Haven’t you done enough already?”

  _Feeling a little bitter? I guess it’s been a while since you’ve been caught in one of my more obvious traps._

 Houshou opened his mouth but Ayako beat him to the punch.

 "I figured it would save time and energy to have this conversation with me as well," she snapped, crossing her legs. "You weren't going to tell Houshou about this case, were you?"

 Naru's eyes darted to the monk, then back again to her.

  _Tell the truth Oliver._ Lin had to hide another smile as the countless memories that phrase invoked.

 "No."

 "Naru, I'm an adult," said Houshou, plopping down onto the couch. "Whether you think so or not, that means I can make my own decisions and can act on them as I choose to."

  _True… to a point._

 "And as the owner of this company, I can choose how I run it, acting on my decisions as I see fit."

  _And also true to a point._

 "Naru." Lin cut in, his tone a gentle rebuke. "We've talked about this. Personal feelings don't belong in company procedures."

  _We had to have this very talk when you decided exactly how you wanted to continue the search for Gene._

 "He died in front of me," snapped Naru. "So forgive me in thinking that I don't want that to happen again."

 "...maybe you should see a therapist about that." Houshou rubbed his chest as he said it. "I mean, I'm over it, and it was me that died. Technically."

  _Extinguishing the candle but ignoring the house fire._

 "Naru, look at me. Houshou, you too." Ayako waited until both of them were looking at her. "Shut. Up.

 Lin put a hand over his mouth, not quite covering a laugh that his shoulders betrayed by shaking. Both the men glared at him, but then turned back to Ayako. Lin remained silent, watching.

  _Thank you. They needed that._

 "Naru, people have life-threatening accidents all the time. They can be gruesome, such as what you saw, or they can be silent, like an embolism. Either way, when a person has healed from them, as Houshou has, you can't continually treat them like glass. In the case of athletes, they get back to practice, or they find a new sport if they have to. He is physically fit to work a case, especially one in which the rest of us will be there to keep an eye on him."

 She turned to face Houshou, eyes flashing.

 "And you. Do you know why Naru's so hesitant? It's because he can't trust you. Or should I say, 'we' can't trust you."

  _Good. She’s not pulling any punches._

 Ayako took a deep breath, but kept her eyes on Hohusho's face even as hurt flashed across it.

 "What we can trust is that you will do everything to protect us, but won't raise hand for yourself. I saw that firsthand; so did John. Yes, I know you did it for the best of reasons, and yes, there is even a clinical truth to what you did. In theory, it's better that one person be hurt instead of all three, so the other two can still be prepared for an escape. In theory. In real life, nobody wants to watch, helpless, as they person they love is-."

  _...this worked even better than I’d planned._

 She stopped, her face flushing a bright red. Houshou sat there, his mouth opening and closing like the goldfish at a summer matsuri.

 "Ayako-"

  _Not while your brain cells are still short-circuiting._

 "Ayako is right," Lin cut in smoothly, talking over Houshou. "About both of you. Naru. This is not like Gene's death. Houshou chooses this to be his profession; an analogy would make him a firefighter. As the 'captain of the fire station,' it would be best for you not to sideline someone who is not injured. If you do, it could lead to more injuries to other people later on down the road. Houshou, let's take the analogy further. If you were a firefighter continually pushing your coworkers aside to run into flaming buildings, how do you think they would feel?"

 "Frustrated," sighed Houshou, turning to Lin but continually trying to make eye contact with Ayako. "But-"

 "No 'buts.' They signed up for this job, just as you did, and after so many cases they know that there's a possibility of being burnt. Let them do their jobs."

  _And if both Ayako and I can’t get through your heads, then I don’t think anyone can._

 Both men sighed; Ayako stood up, smoothing down her bunched-up shirt.

 "Sorry, but my pager's going off. I need to get back to the hospital."

  _Probably best to give them time to think it over. Double the time for Houshou._

 "Be ready tomorrow night to patrol the theme park," said Naru.

 "Um... LINE me when you want to drive up," added Houshou, rubbing the back of his head.

 She nodded, then grabbed her purse and fled, high heels clicking at a fast pace down the hallway.

  _Time to drive the point home._

 "Takigawa."

 Lin arched an eyebrow just as Houshou turned to him.

 "Don't mess this up," Lin said. "You have at least a two hour drive tomorrow; that's your best chance to talk to her."

  _And try to actually talk._

 "About what?" asked Houshou, turning his hands up.

 "Don't be stupid," sighed Naru. "About what she just let slip."

 The monk snorted.

 "Tell you what Naru. You tell Mai how you actually feel, and I'll consider taking romance lessons from you."

  _I wouldn’t take romance lessons from either of you._

 "Any idiot can see that she's in love with you, and you her."

  _Not helpful Naru._

 "Yeah," sighed Houshou, looking at the doorway Ayako had just fled through. "Any idiot, huh?"

 


	2. Promise Pledged (John's POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author Note: Whew! So much has happened since November, I still feel like it's 2018 - however, it's halfway through 2019, so thank you for waiting patiently! The plan in mind is at least a once a month update for Listening to Shatters. Enjoy!

 

 

* * *

_Tuesday afternoon - Carnival Theme Park_

* * *

"This looks like a cute theme park," John said to Masako as they stepped onto the platform and looked up. The small station felt even smaller with their floor to ceiling window, but everyone arriving could see a faint outline of the park's main attraction, a figure eight "double" Ferris Wheel called the Infinity. Enough sugar, tasting of childhood memories, was in the air that it could support a mass of hummingbirds, and screams kept bursting into range before dropping away. Even the train station was in on the act: painted clowns pointed to the exits, a lion with a top hat sat near the men's toilet, and a bunny wearing a purple tutu danced by the women's.

_Cute, even if I'm not a fan of clowns._

"Doesn't really seem as if it's being haunted at the moment."

_Though I know even beautiful, happy places can be haunted, sometimes more so than the despairing ones._

Masako opened her mouth, but was interrupted before she could add anything to John's comment.

"Looks can be deceiving," said Naru, stepping out from underneath the West Exit sign.

_How good is his hearing? I didn't think he was that close._

"As such looks are here. Mai and I have already checked over the security network and there should be no problem hooking into it, but as we were warned, there will be some blind and hard-to-see spots. Most of the park is covered however, and that'll be a boon."

_Nice to have good news._

"What did you want us to do now then, if you've already covered that?" asked Masako, stepping to the side as a small, green-clothed toddler lurched in her direction.

_I thought it was just on the train that there weren't any men around, but it's the same here too. I guess at this time of day they're all still working._

John felt his shoulders relax a little as he took in the sight of many mothers walking along with their small children, chatting to other parent friends in groups.

_Reminds me of the church outings I used to go to._

The little boy waved to Masako with a sticky hand, and was promptly grabbed by his mother.

"Now now Yusuke, let's not bother the nice big sister." The woman crouched down to look him in the eyes. "Say bye-bye, and we'll go see the animals!"

Masako mimicked the open-closed fist the child gave her, then smiled into her sleeve as the mother led her energetic offspring away.

"That was adorable," said John, smiling. "I wish I had gotten that on camera."

_It's not often I hear Masako called '"big sister."_

"You'll have plenty of chances in the park," muttered Naru, rolling his eyes at the interaction.

"Are you okay?"

Mai cupped a hand over her mouth, but her eyes sparkled.

"He got called uncle by some kids," she whispered, loud enough that everyone heard it. The side of their boss's mouth twitched.

_... he's got the soul of an uncle, that's for sure._

John tried to look innocent as Naru leveled a stare his way, almost as if the man could read his mind.

 _Or rather, for Oliver Davis, that he would_ _choose_   _to read my mind. Thankfully that's never been something to worry about with him, neither before nor after we learned his true identity_

"Must be the aura he gives off," remarked Masako, looking through a skylight to see clouds drift together in the sky.

"Moving this conversation back to where it belongs," said Naru, pinching the bridge of his nose. "For the rest of the day, we're going to cover the park. With all the reports that Melly wrote up, John, I want you to be prepared. I'm going to be taking notes with the portable equipment, and Mai, you'll be keeping an eye on Masako, who will sense what might be around."

_A cautious, strong start playing to each of our strengths... he's closed up a bit since Kiryu, so it's harder for me to tell what he's thinking about, but I'm probably not wrong in guessing he's a bit stressed._

"Sounds like a plan," said John, taking a water bottle out from the side netting of his backpack and gulping down what remained. "Excuse me while I fill this up."

"It should be safe enough, right?" He heard Masako ask as he moved away.

Naru grunted.

"As far as we know, there are only the ghost kids, and none of them sound as if they're vengeful or angry. Pinching people also doesn't fall under that category.

_Though it does leave the people pinched quite wound up._

"We should let them get to the hotel first, so they can drop off their luggage," suggested Mai. "That way Masako doesn't have to lug that suitcase around, and John can put down his backpack."

 _My shoulders would like that_.

"It might be easier to protect people when I don't have to worry about my stuff getting in the way," the priest joked, caping the bottle again.

"Good point." Naru turned to gesture. "The hotel's left after the exiting the East Gate, but the park's on the West Gate side."

"Then give us a few minutes and we'll join you," said John, adjusting his backpack. Naru was already in action, walking with Mai at his heels to the West Gate, so he and Masako waved goodbye and went East. Together, they started walking up a slight uphill, following a series of leafy arrows with the hotel's name written on them. There weren't too many people here, which meant that except for them, most of the sounds were of rustling winds and droning bees.

"I didn't ask you before," said Masako, her soft voice breaking the silence between them. "But... what do you think of this case?"

 _She's so much easier to read than Naru_.

"Worried it's going to be like Kiryu?" John asked, giving her a kind look.

"The other cases we had after that didn't need all of us. This is the first one though..."

She didn't need to say anymore. Unbidden, his memory brought back images of how Houshou had been tortured during their time in the cave. How bonds of love, protection, and family had been twisted against them.

_The scent of blood never ending, pain that only grew sharper in the heart..._

"And it's a little hard to get back into the saddle, isn't it?" John stopped, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath that tasted of earth. The lack of clacking from Masako's suitcase meant that she had stopped too.

_I banish those thoughts, those ghosts of did and what might have happened, with the power of the Lord's guidance, and his love shining within me._

Houshou's battered face started to fade away, and breathing became easier.

"We're going to have to face it sooner or later," John said gently, opening his eyes and facing Masako. Blue hydrangea framed her from behind, giving off the effect of sharpening the black ink of her hair. "It's too easy to let fear guide us, to prevent us from doing what's right."

"Is this what's right though?" She cocked her head. "Forcing him back into a job that nearly killed him."

John grinned even as he shrugged.

"I don't see any trace that we've forced him back into this. In fact, if I remember correctly, Naru tried to keep him out, and you saw how well that worked. Also, he's one of the strongest members of this group, with a God-given gift. Who are we to say not to use it?"

"His friends, who are worried about him," said Masako. She looked to the refreshing green tunnel to their left, studying the climbing ivy that was stretching for the roof. "We can do that, right?"

"Worry about him?" John reached out to squeeze her shoulder. The silk kimono felt cool to the touch, even though they were standing under the hot sun. "Of course. As friends we always should. We should also let him make his own choices, and be there for when he needs us."

"I've got a horrible feeling that this isn't going to go as planned," she confessed, her voice soft. "It's not based on anything, just... I guess it's just unfound worry, left over because I wasn't able to help in Kiryu."

_And no matter how many times we say it wasn't your fault, you and Osamu are going to feel guilty, aren't you?_

"How about this then?" said John, rubbing her shoulder. "I'll keep an extra close eye on Houshou when I'm paired with him. Make sure he stays safe."

_God, please help me keep that promise this time._

"...thank you." Neither of them mentioned that her voice trembled like an autumn leaf, nor that John had been the first one kidnapped after Houshou. Instead, Masako laid her head on John's shoulder for a few seconds; he stayed still, allowing her to take whatever strength she could from him.

_Duty calls though._

"We should get going before Naru sends Mai after us."

Masako giggled, pulling away.

"Too true."

They began walking again, entering the cool tunnel and exclaiming over the morning glories entwined with the ivy that covered the archway. The garden motif grew stronger as they grew closer to the hotel door, which was circular and wooden, with a small brass ring set in the middle instead of off to the side. John opened it, waving Masako on before him.

"Ladies first."

She graced him with a grin, then glided into the lobby, peering around at all the plants, John following closely behind.

_Wow... It truly feels as if we're in the middle of ae forest._

"Welcome to the Grove!" A young woman popped up from behind the front desk, short red hair a mass of flyaway curls. "My name's Rose, how may I help you?"

_I wonder which came first, the name or the hair color?_

"Hello Rose." John felt his own smile become bigger as she turned her happiness beam on him. "We're staying here with a few friends, and were hoping to drop off our backpacks."

"Sure!" She thumped a huge hardcover book onto the table, gold glittering from the emerald green cover. "Name of reservation?"

John and Masako exchanged glances.

"It might be under Shibuya, Kazuya."

"Or SPR."

There was a knowing nod from Rose, and a quick tap to the side of her nose.

"I know who you are! You're Melly's friends, the ghost hunters!" She looked around the empty lobby, then leaned halfway over the desk one heel kicking up. "Do you really think the park's haunted?"

John had to chuckle.

_If she could bottle her energy, I'm sure she'd be set for life._

"That's what we're here to find out. Sometimes it's just people playing pranks though."

The woman shook her head, curls springing from side to side.

"No way. There's too many people involved in this, too many complaints. And as the head of the front desk I have to log each one." She shook her head no one last time, a few strands of hair sticking to her forehead. "I'm 100% sure something's out there."

"As I said, that's what we're here to find out." John kept grinning, but he could feel it becoming forced. "Could you tell us our room numbers please?"

She jerked back in surprise, knocking a thick sheaf of papers to the floor.

"Oh! Yes! Of course!" Her right hand snatched a leaf and the left grabbed a flower. "Here! Leaves for men's room and flowers for the women's. Left and right, green and pink."

Masako took both of them, giving the green dyed wood over to John.

"I'll meet you back here in five minutes," she said, turning to the right, her luggage clacking across the floor.

John nodded, ducking under a moss green  _noren_  and entering the men's side of the hotel. He found himself alone, the lush, wood-colored carpet swallowing all the sounds he made. He looked down at the number in his hand, but didn't really see it.

"God. Are we doing the right thing? Am I doing the right thing? I know we've all physically healed, with roads traveled mentally and spiritually, but... there are still so many miles to go. And I never want to see him that hurt again."

_Not just Houshou. I never want to see any of us as hurt as he was._

He waited for a few seconds, but nothing happened. No bird chirped at him from one of the circular windows lining the wall, no tree tapped against the side of the building... nothing happened to make him feel that God had heard him.

_It's fine Johnny-boy. You already know God listens, so you shouldn't need a sign of confirmation. If He wishes to give one, He will, and if not, not._

He continued walking, and finally, almost at the end of the row, were his and Houshou's room. He didn't bother flicking the lights on, just opening the door wide enough to drop his backpack inside.

"Wait..." Opening the door wider and letting sunlight spill into the room, John snatched up the backpack again, unzipping it to draw out his travel bible. Asking the question once again in his mind, he gently thumbed the pages, and opened the book at random.

"Joshua 1:9 Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." He let out a heavy sigh of satisfaction. "Thank you God, for listening to one person's fears out of so many, and thank you for taking the time to answer."

He slipped it back into the bag and left the bible behind, locking the door. With a lighter step, a clearer mind, and a stronger heart, he made his way back to the lobby where Rose was humming tunelessly as she watered the plants sprouting up around the room.

_I guess Masako's not ready yet._

"Are you going to the park?" asked Rose, noticing that there was someone in the room.

"Yes." He gave her a small smile, and wasn't surprised to see one that was returned threefold.

_Actually, she might be a good font of information._

"Do you have any suggestions for where to go?"

"Oh, yes yes yes yes, there are so many places Melly's made completely awesome!" Rose put down the watering can and grabbed a colorful leaflet from the nearby wooden rack. "Here's a map! Ooh, and I can circle the places you should go!"

"That would be very helpful, thank you," John said. There was something infectious about the woman's happiness and energy, an exuberance that felt as if it'd been missing for a while.

_Since we learned Houshou was taken, if I had to guess at a precise day and time. Sure, we got him back, but he's not the same as he was before. To be fair, I'd say none of us are the same as we were before._

"Okay, so here're the best places to head to!" She showed him the map as she kept scribbling circles. "Here's the House of Mirrors, Infinity of course, the Shooting Gallery, there's Lazer Tag right next to the Picnic Area, and we host events too!"

Out of the corner of his eye John saw Masako emerge from the women's side, coming out from under the pale pink  _noren_.

"Thank you very much Rose," he said, taking the pamphlet from her. "Any particular place that you recommend, somewhere that stands out above the rest?"

_That might be the place to see first._

"House of Mirrors!" came the immediate reply. "Sometimes I'll go in there and be in a really bad mood, but I always come out feeling clean and happy."

John tucked it into a chest pocket.

_Okay, no matter where else we check today, we need to go by the House of Mirrors. Also, I'm a little curious about what her "really bad mood" looks like._

"Have a great time you two!" Rose then lowered her voice, whisper-shouting the next bit. "And good luck with the ghosts!"

John and Masako waved as they exited the reception area, then smiled at each other, teetering on the edge of laughter.

"She reminds me of Mai," John whispered, his voice growing stronger as they left the area. "Or how Mai used to be."

"She'll heal too. I know she's been better since she started talking to Bou-san, and I mean more than using him for her Buddhism tests."

John shook his head.

_Not surprising. Mai uses me for English and Christianity studies when she can._

They talked about the places Rose had circled and which ones sounded best as they walked, and before they knew it, they'd caught back up with Mai and Naru, finding one of them pacing the street while the other sat on a nearby section of wall, legs thumping gently against the brick.

"Finally!" Naru gave them both his patented  _look_. "What took you both so long?"

"I made you tea," said Masako, pulling a thermos out of her sleeve and handing it over to Naru. "Iced."

_Ah, that's what kept her for the extra time._

Their boss let a smile slip as Mai pulled a face from behind his shoulder.

"Thank you Masako."

"It's hot out today, and I didn't want you becoming dehydrated."

He nodded, settling the thermos into a light backpack on the ground near his feet.

"Is everyone ready?"

John touched the rosary buried in his pocket, and tapped the bottle of fountain water he'd blessed at the train station. Masako nodded, clasping her hands together. Mai, for all that she'd been making faces at her friend earlier, took up a protective stance on the left as John took the right. Naru fiddled with the switches and dials on the contraption in his hands until he was satisfied, then took up the bag.

_Knocked down for a little bit, but not out. Not when there are so many others that need our help._

John felt a fierce sense of pride well up in his chest at the actions of his friends. His found family.

"First place to go is the Picnic Area. It's in the middle of the park, which means we can use it to access any other attraction."

_And it's also near lunch, so hopefully we'll pick up something to eat as well._

The four of them began to make their way there, trying to stay out of the way of small children, strollers, and mothers either speed walking or traveling in groups. It wasn't easy. Time after time they had to stop, giving the majority of the path to others.

 _This isn't working._ John thought as he stepped to the side again, leaving Masako briefly to allow a mother with twins to roll by, one of the toddlers sleeping even as the other howled.  _We'll take the entire day to get to the first three places on the pamphlet at the rate we're going now._

"Naru, I think we need a new plan."

"Seconded," added Mai, rolling her eyes. "We stand out like a sore thumb."

_Hadn't even thought of that, but she's hit the nail on the head._

"If we're trying to keep a low profile, then this isn't helping," added John, Mai nodding in agreement.

Naru slowed to a stop as well, stepping into the shade of the trees lining the path.

_Shade sounds like a good idea._

"You're right. There weren't so many people here before. Any better ideas?"

John hummed, thinking.

"The original idea of going to the Picnic Area was a good one. We can stop and get some food while Masako searches the area. Other than that though, I think we ought to pretend to be ordinary people enjoying the park."

"On dates!" said Mai excitedly, her body practically vibrating at the idea.

"Dates?"

_Exactly Naru. And if we're to have water dumped on us, at least it's summer._

"The other option would be to borrow someone's child," said John, grinning as Naru's face soured. He saw that Mai was laughing openly at the idea, and Masako was hiding her smile behind her kimono sleeve again. "Unfortunately, the children at the church have school right now, so dates are the better choice. And we can say it's a double date, so there's no need to split up."

"... very well." Naru let out a little groan. "Let's play pretend."

Mai jumped up and grabbed his arm just as Masako took a step towards him.

"Claimed!" she cheered, drawing attention from the families around them.

"...fine." Masako gave a slight bow. "I'll be John's date."

_Well, at least I'm not wearing my collar. That would be more than a little awkward, an obvious man of the cloth on a date... though it's possible that rule isn't well known in Japan?_

They fell into step two by two, Mai and Naru taking the lead with John and Masako following behind, and actually began to make some progress. The Picnic Area was a small "farm" surrounded by tables, which were further surrounded by fences, and had a cornucopia of smells coming from the area.

_I think I'm in luck—I even smell corn dogs._

"Do you sense anything?" Naru's focus was on the task, and not on the mouthwatering atmosphere.

She nodded, a slight saddened cast to her face as she kept staring at a particular area. John trailed her gaze, but he could only see happy children, some of them with ice-cream smeared all over their faces, and tired parents with bloodshot eyes, wet wipes, or both.

"Everyone here seems to be having a good time."

"And they are too," Masako said quietly to John. "There are five children, all of them ghosts, playing tag among the tables."

_At least they have each other. Kenji would have enjoyed being in a place like this with friends._

She took a step forward, frowning as the part of the fence swung open. "Are they supposed to squeak? And why is it so heavy?"

"It's for the kids," Mai said. "Look."

John glanced over to see a three year old trying to get out, but who wasn't tall enough to unhook the gate herself. Off to the side, her mother kept a close eye on her, but otherwise allowed the child to do what she wanted, which was to keep trying to leave through the gate.

_Hmm. I wonder if that would be useful at the church?_

"I bet it squeaks on purpose to let people know that it opened."

"So they can make sure their kid didn't escape," said Masako, a knowing tone in her voice. "That's actually pretty smart. How did you know that?"

"I overheard a woman complain once about the heavy doors at Toys R Us, and the cashier told her they're made heavy on purpose, so that kids can't leave the bathroom while their parents are using it."

John nodded.

"This Melly of yours seems to know her stuff," he said to Naru. "Will we be meeting her?"

"Possibly. At the very least, I want to know everyone's thoughts on the park before you all hear hers."

"Oooh, they have  _takoyaki_ here! Hey, Naru, is SPR buying lunch?"

There was silence as all eyes turn to the man in charge.

"1,000 yen worth, for each person," he said eventually. "Dinner will be on your own dime."

"Cheapskate," muttered Mai, tugging on Masako's sleeve. "Come on, let's go get some food."

The two of them made a beeline for the food stalls, John and Naru watching as they left.

"Out of the papers we received," John said carefully, thinking about the best wording. "Did you leave off something? Concerning five child ghosts perhaps?"

Naru turned to him, staring.

_It almost feels as if he's staring through me._

But then Naru arched an eyebrow, and everything was back to normal.

"And if I did?"

"Masako's already seen them. They were playing hide and seek between the tables." John looked again, but he could still only see living children, playing and laughing and crying.

"I thought she might. I'll give out the rest of that information tonight - suffice to say, one of the employees already ran into them, so I'm not surprised that Masako can collaborate the story."

_I'm not sure I like that information is being withheld, even if it's to test and make sure that it's all correct and updated._

"Anything else missing that we should know about?"

"For now, just that one of the children is the sister of an employee in the cafe."

John checked the map. While the Picnic Area was center of the park, the cafe was closer to the hotel, almost to the side of it. It also was in line for a great view of the double-circled Ferris Wheel, but there were no other attractions around.

_It almost seems as if the hotel was made for quiet-seeking guests, and the park happened to be built afterwards._

"You've already found that much activity?" Naru was craning his neck to see what was marked on the map.

"No, the woman at the hotel said these are the places to check out." John handed it over to Naru. "It would make sense that the kids like the main attractions, right?"

"If we're here only for the kids, then yes. I can't imagine that they are the cause of all these pinching problems." He handed back the map. "However, I'd be interested in the House of Mirrors."

"Naru! They've got cheese and onion  _takoyaki_!" Mai came running back, dragging Masako with her. "Don't they smell delicious!?"

_Not as good as the corn dogs do._

"Masako, didn't you get anything?"

She shook her head.

"I went to look only; I don't want food or drink while I'm searching. It usually makes me feel sick."

"Let's grab a seat then, so you can sit down." Naru didn't wait, striding off to the nearest table that would sit all of them comfortably, as well as one that was a little away from the noisy crowd. John let out a little sigh as he saw their boss slip in and sit down where a group of women had been standing and waiting for their friend.

"Should we help him out?" asked Mai as one of the women began to scold Naru. He replied quickly, folding his arms over his chest.

"...I think he can handle it himself," remarked John, giving a hesitant laugh as two other women joined the conversation, one of them with a squalling child in their arms.

"I've changed my mind," added Masako, linking arms with John as their boss snapped back at the three women. "I think I'd like to get something to drink."

_Hopefully those corn dogs will take a few minutes to make…_

The three of them went to a hotdog stand first, allowing John to grab a chili-cheese corn dog, then walked to a flavored soda stand for Masako, where she indulged her sweet tooth by getting a strawberry Italian soda. By the time she had received the rest of her change, the mothers had taken over the table, and Naru was gone.

"...did they destroy him?" asked Mai, her voice in awe.

_As fearsome as Japanese mothers can be, I don't think our boss would have been defeated that easily._

"No," said John, peering over the tables. "He moved to one closer to the event stage."

"Some help you lot were," Naru groused as they walked up holding their food and drinks.

"My apologies, I decided I was thirsty after all," said Masako, sliding onto the bench next to him. Mai took the other side, which left John in the seat across from Naru.

"This'll have to do," he said. The statement was quickly followed by a wince as a little girl on the stage shrieked when her mother came to get her. "Hara-san?"

"I can work here," was the quick reply, followed by a sip from her drink.

"Good, tell us what you sense around the area, or if you see anything." Naru took out a small notebook and uncapped a pen that was clipped to the side.

"There's a large presence of ghosts here for such a happy area," she said, shutting her eyes. "It's a little nice actually. I don't sense any anger from them."

Naru gave a small grunt, writing down exactly what she was saying. John took his first bite of his chili-cheese corn dog.

_Perfection._

"There's one that seems to be the leader of the group," continued Masako. "She's not playing with the others, but she keeps cautioning them not to run through the living people in the park."

"Describe her."

"She's thin, with a slender, graceful neck and a short haircut that brushes against the tips of her shoulders. All of the kids are wearing shirts and shorts, or in her case, it's a skirt. Most of them have sneakers, but a couple have sandals too."

"And the others?"

"There's a younger girl with long, free flowing hair. She's the fastest runner, and looks to be the most energetic. If she's tagged, then she doesn't stay it for long. The other three are boys. They all look younger than the girl, but two of them are taller, so she might look older than her age."

John finished the hot dog and wiped his hands on the wet napkin.

"Have any of them noticed you?"

"I don't think-" Masako's voice stopped. "Yes. She has. She's pointing to us and telling the kids not to come near us."

"Does she believe we're a threat?"

"She's coming over." Masako fixated on a spot right behind John's shoulder, and the priest had to resist the urge to turn around.

_It's not as if I can see her_

"Oh..." Masako sniffed, then nodded.

"What's she saying?" asked Mai, turning around and trying to see the young spirit.

"She's saying that if we need to talk to any of them, we need to talk to her. The others are younger though, and they sometimes don't understand why some people can see them but their families can't."

"Oh, that sounds horrible. So she doesn't want us confusing them."

"Because then she'll have to console them," agreed Masako. "Sure, we understand. Is there some way to get in touch with you?"

Naru kept writing and taking memos in his small notebook.

"There's a tree in the garden where she spends time away from the little kids. If we go there, we should be able to talk to her."

"Day or night?"

"Does 'she' have a name?"

"Day. She doesn't like the little ones to be out at night. People get a little wild." Masako pauses. "And her name is Sumire."

_Poor Sumire. God, you've always looked out for children, so I hope you don't mind me asking for your light to wash over the ones here ._

"Thank her. If we have any questions to ask, we'll make sure to talk later." Naru slipped the notepad back into his pocket and stood up. "John, do you still have that map with you?"

"Yes?"

"Let's talk a stroll and see what's around here. Any areas that we think need to be investigated closer we can have the night group check."

"Night group?" echoed Mai, standing up as well. John grabbed his trash and Masako's, detouring to a bin to throw everything away. "I thought we were only dividing up like that for the first day?"

"... in total, we'll split four and four. That'll let us cover more ground. Looking over the incidents that prompted this case, they've occurred equally through night and day. Of course, if we spot a dangerous area or spirit when we're out, then the groups won't be split."

"Who would be in each group?" asked Masako.

_She's most likely thinking back to the promise I made earlier._

"Tonight, by luck of the draw, will be Lin, Osamu, Ayako, and Houshou. Later on, that might change, or it might stay the same. Osamu would be better off on the day team if I need to tap him for research, or, if things at night are indeed 'wild' as the spirit said, then it might be better to move John."

The priest nodded, putting his hand in his pocket and grabbing his rosary beads again.

"You wouldn't be doing that so I keep a close eye on Houshou, would you?" he asked, his voice friendly and even. Naru didn't look at him.

"It's logical," their boss answered after a few steps. "Out of the four of us, you have the most usable power."

_True. Masako has a completely defensive power and Naru can't use his at all. Between myself and Mai, she's got the spirit, but I am more experienced, and stronger. Plus, maybe I should be on the night crew anyway, if I want to keep my promise to Masako._

The four of them continued to walk and talk, taking in the sights and sounds of the Color Path, standing near the Infinity Ferris Wheel, listening to shrieks from the Swinging Ship, and even getting splashed by the one water ride, Log Jam. It was near the House of Mirrors that Masako requested they linger in the area.

"Feel something?"

Masako nodded, folding her legs under a rose backed bench as she sat down.

"It doesn't feel bad. Or even good. Just... odd."

"Odd how?" asked Naru, digging for his notebook.

Masako looked to the brightly colored maze.  _FIND YOUR TRUESELF!_ proclaimed the sign, protruding above a collection of masks shaped from mirrors.

"I recognize the superhero mask," said Mai, pointing it out. "But does anyone know the others?"

They all studied the display.

"That one, all the way to the left, is from  _The Phantom of the Opera_. My family and I saw the show when I was younger."

"There's a mask from Venice there too, the one with the glitter on it," added John, smiling with fond memories of visiting the Vatican, then taking a side trip to Italy before heading back to Japan.

_Using the mirror part makes it look a little strange though, normally they're painted._

"...I think one of them's a death mask," Mai said slowly. "It looks like the ones from my history class at school."

Naru made a noise at that, but the rest of them stayed silent.

"It feels like it's going to pop from pressure." Masako rubbed her arms. "There's a build up inside that's cold and moldy."

_That doesn't sound good. What could be causing it?_

"Noted," said Naru. "We'll bring some equipment this way later and see if anything's picked up."

"Where to next then?" asked John, shifting from side to side.

_I might not be as sensitive as Masako, but there's something here that's getting under my skin as well._

"... we'll pass by the shooting gallery, wind along the Garden Snail Trail, and get back to the hotel by six. I want to meet the others when they get here and brief them."

"Are you going to tell them about our map?"

Naru shook his head.

"No. I'll warn them there might be trouble afoot, but I want to see the places they pick up on. We'll compare maps later on."


	3. I'm Fine (Bou's POV)

 

 

* * *

_Tuesday early afternoon - Ayako's house_

* * *

Houshou shifted from foot to foot, jangling keys in his hands so that they sounded the band's latest drum rhythm. His car was parked on the side of the road, and from the curtain twitches he could see, the local police were going to be called to question him if he stayed there much longer.

"Come on Ayako," he groaned, starting over with the beat. "How long does it take you to pack?"

_Boom boom boom, tish thud - boomity boom boom crash!_

Houshou was in the middle of where the melody went from the guitar to the drums and back when a door slam jolted him from the song.

"Thanks for waiting!"

Ayako stood at the top step in front of her house, wearing a sleeveless orange turtleneck with a long brown skirt. Simple, maybe, but it looked good on her. Autumn personified.

 _"Don't mess this up."_  Lin's words echoed in his head.

"...shou?" Ayako gave him an odd look, concern mixed with curiosity. "Are you okay?"

"Ah, yeah... sorry about that, I was just, um, drifting off." He lunged forward for her luggage, letting out a nervous chuckle. "Here, let me get that."

_Holy hell, what's in here, bricks?_

He nearly dropped it and she laughed, putting her hand over her mouth when he raised an eyebrow at her.

"It's a little heavy, isn't it?"

"What do you have in here?" asked Houshou, ignoring the twinge in his arm. He had a lot more phantom pains nowadays.

_Don't think about it - everything's healed, those bones and muscles need to stop complaining._

"It's all my medical equipment." She went quiet for a second, then looked down at the ground. "It's what... what I would have needed to save you in the cave."

_Ah._

"Good decision on taking it then," he said, turning around so he could pop it into the trunk. "If anyone needs it this time, we'll have it. I mean, hopefully no one will actually need it, but still..." Houshou froze as he felt a hand settle on his shoulder, the last word trailing off.

"It's okay." Her voice was gentle, a zephyr swirling over the river. "I understand what you're trying to say."

_She really does, doesn't she? Has it always been that way?_

He felt a huge weight roll off his shoulders, along with that contradictory feeling of being both bone tired and lighter than air at the same time. "Thanks."

_For doing everything you could do then, and for everything you're doing now._

"Come on, let's head up to the hotel. I'm sure Naru's itching to put us to work," joked Ayako, walking around the car and sitting in the passenger seat. Houshou fought the suitcase into the truck, then slammed the top down, getting in the driver's side and looking back at where the nosy neighbor had camped in front of their window.

"Friend of yours?"

"Hardly," snickered Ayako. "She's the terror of the town, mendoukusai Maekawa. Makes it her business to know everybody else's."

"Sounds like a few monks I knew back on the mountain." He threw the car into reverse and checked the dashboard camera to make sure the way was clear.

"Really?" An amused lilt colored her voice. "Isn't Buddhism supposed to teach not wanting things?"

"It's a hard rule to enforce when novice monks are bored," Houshou laughed. "And when nothing happens, they're happy enough to make it up."

_One of the things I don't miss from the mountains._

He reached for the radio knob, then hesitated. "Pop, right?"

"Anything with a beat. Pop, or rock is good, but I never got into metal since it's too hard to hear the lyrics."

He went through a few stations until "Monster" came on. Then he concentrated on the narrow lanes he needed to take to get out of the city. Ayako was kind enough to stay silent until they reached the expressway, letting him focus on dodging pedestrians, bikes, and pets.

_Okay, a plus for the mountains is that most roads are empty, even if I have to watch out for snow and ice._

"No bad thoughts about driving?" she asked, glancing over at him.

"What?"

_Smooth Houshou. Come on, you should be talking to her about something, not forcing her to limp the conversation along._

"Just, um, the last time you were driving, you and Mai had problems." Her voice sounded tight, as if she hadn't wanted to bring it up.

_Oh yeah._

"With everything else that happened, I kinda forget about that part," he admitted, speeding up to overtake someone driving an old Toyota, the old orange and yellow senior driver sticker hanging on the back.

"That's fair. A lot went on later."

_Ask her!_

"Ayako-"

"Houshou-"

The two of them paused, then laughed.

"You go first," he said, nodding to her.

"Okay." She took a deep breath. "I wanted to talk about what I said yesterday."

Houshou felt his heart sink.

_Should have expected this. She just wants to explain that it was all a mistake._

"Not a problem," he said, trying to keep his tone cheerful. "I'm sure it was just a slip of the tongue, and that you didn't really mean it."

Her mouth fell open, and then there was a fist hitting his shoulder.

"Ayako!" he yelped, his grip on the wheel tightening. "I'm driving!"

"Then don't be obtuse!" she snapped back. "I meant exactly what I said!"

_Really?_

"...why?" Puzzlement leaked into his voice. "When?"

"I have for a while." Her voice grew quieter. "Ever since we went to help John's church, actually."

_Since back then?_

He passed by a truck transporting soap, then a family in a Subaru.

"...I didn't say anything because I wasn't sure how you felt, and I didn't want to set myself up for disappointment, or to not be part of the SPR when you said you didn't like me."

_How long ago was that case? Two, three years ago? I think so. Sounds about right anyway. I thought she just found me annoying, I'm sure she could find someone better, so why settle for me?_

"... and then I thought that I was going to lose you anyhow, no matter what I did or didn't..." Her voice trailed off. "Houshou? Say something."

"Something," he replied automatically, earning another shoulder punch. "Ow!"

He turned to see her furious brown eyes, then yanked his attention back to the road.

"I'm sitting here pouring my heart out to you and you're making jokes!?"

Houshou played back the last few minutes in his brain.

_Shit!_

"No no no, that's not what I meant to do," he said, grabbing her hand. As much as he wanted to look at her, he kept facing straight. "I was just, so surprised you liked me, that's all I could think about!"

_...I'm not sure if that helped..._

She was watching him, he could feel the stare.

"Should I forget what I said Takigawa-san? Or should-"

"No!" he blurted out, his voice rough.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ayako turn to look at him.

"You didn't even hear the rest of what I was going to say."

"It doesn't matter," Houshou said, shaking his head. "I don't want to forget what you said."

There was a little snuffling noise, and when he glanced at her he could see she was trying to hold back laughter.

"What's so funny?"

"Us," she said, wiping tears from her eyes. "We're the oldest of the group, excluding Lin, and we're fumbling our way around this like Naru does with Mai."

"Hopefully with a bit more respect," grumbled Houshou, slowing down so a truck could pass.

"Yes. Our own special brand of respect," she added wryly, tone light and teasing. "But respect nonetheless."

They drove a little bit longer, the tires eating up the kilometers, and the music largely ignored for the most part as they chatted.

"How do-" Houshou cleared his throat. "How do you want to do this?"

"I don't want to tell the others," Ayako said immediately. "Naru's probably the only one who won't react, but the rest of them? Mai's going to want to throw a party, which she'll easily talk John into helping with. Osamu will be crying all over you and playacting that he's heartbroken. And Masako will have that knowing smile, along with Lin."

He laughed at the end of her tirade, heart feeling lighter than it had in months.

 _Months that feel like years.._.

"True. I can imagine them doing exactly that. So we'll start this on the down low then." His eyes flickered to her and he grinned. "I don't mind."

"Bou-san... is that car...?" Ayako's voice trailed off as she looked out the windshield.

_Why are they on the wrong side of the road?_

He tapped the horn twice, but the high-beams stabbing him in the eyes didn't waver.

"Is he aiming for us?" muttered Houshou, laying his hand on the horn and keeping it there. Ayako's eyes grew wide as she pushed herself further back in her chair.

"They're not slowing down."

_No. If anything, they've sped up._

Houshou didn't bother flicking a blinker on as he switched lanes.

"They might be unconscious."

"In a straight line?" asked Ayako, reaching for her purse.

"...what the hell?" Houshou raised his hand to cut off the glare from the lights. "They moved into our lane again."

_That can't be by accident - they're targeting us deliberately!_

"Bou-san!" Ayako grabbed his arm and he let out a hiss as her nails dug in. "Why are you staying in the same lane?"

"Waiting." He replied in a curt tone. "Make sure you're buckled up."

She withdrew, whimpering as the car drew closer. Houshou felt a flare up in his knuckles, a painful protest at how hard he was clutching the wheel.

"Three..."

"Why?"

"They changed with us before." Houshou grit his teeth. "They'll just do it again. Two..."

"If they turn at the same-"

"Hang on!"

Houshou closed his eyes as he yanked right. The crash that he braced himself for, the abrupt slam, cutting glass, and piercing metal... none of that came. The car bounced and shuddered as it reached the median, but it did eventually die down, along with the scream echoing in his right ear. He tried to breathe, his shuddering heart strangling his throat and only allowing gasping.

_What kind... what kind of asshole!?_

The car finally stopped completely, out of gas and velocity. .

"What... was that?"

"Someone who's going to get someone else killed," he answered her in a low voice. "Fuck."

Ayako tried to reach her purse again, getting it on the third try. With shaking hands she pulled her phone out, tapped a few buttons on it, then held it up to her ear. Houshou half listened as she talked to the police, telling them about the car going the wrong way, and where they were along the expressway.

"They've already sent out a patrol car," she said, putting her phone back in her purse. "We're not the only ones who called it in."

"Good."

_I don't think I'll ever get my heart to calm down._

His hands kept shaking too, and there was a fog of confusion blowing into his mind.

_What's wrong with me? Ayako's fine, I'm fine, the car's fine. Relax._

"Hope they catch him," Houshou finally said, conscious of Ayako's eyes on him.

"Do you want me to take over driving? I don't mind," she added quickly.

He opened his mouth to say yes, but nothing came out.

_I don't want her to think I'm not strong enough. I want to be on this case, I want to help people again._

"I'm your girlfriend-" she paused, letting the word float in the air, a small smile at the corner of her lips. "Your girlfriend now. Do you want me to nag you for the keys?"

"Heh... you would have done that anyway." His grin felt forced, but she accepted it with a spark of mischief in her eyes.

"Damn straight," she said, smirking. "So hand them over."

Neither of them mentioned that it took two tries to work the keys out of the ignition, nor that Houshou mostly slid along the car as he switched to the passenger side, his legs were too wobbly to hold him up.

"Something interesting about adrenaline," Ayako said, adjusting the driver's seat, "is that for most people, their response is either flight or fight. One or the other. Then there are people who fight against their basic instinct, and move to whichever one they think would be best for the situation."

"And?" Houshou buckled himself in, sitting up stiffly.

_What does this have to do with me?_

"Your first instinct was always to run to the fight, to the problem," explained Ayako, settling down behind the wheel. "I remember how you reacted to that spirit dog, and those nasty zombies. Our last case together though... you started with fight, but then, at the end, it became flight. You were trying to get away, trying to get us away." She shrugged. "You switched. Now your body's a little confused about which one is correct. Something to think about before you start yelling at yourself for not reacting how you believe you should have."

_... that might be true. And my first reaction was to make sure we were out of danger, so that's good._

"My first fight left my knees knocking so bad I couldn't stay standing," added Ayako, pulling back into the passing lane. "Working as a doctor, I've got a lot better at dealing with life and death situations; I won't be shaking until later tonight, when there's no one else around me. Why don't you take a nap? Let your body cleanse the tension and stress naturally."

There was something he wanted to say about that, something about how sad it was to let only the dark see you fall apart, but his brain wasn't working.

_A nap sounds heavenly._

"... you don't mind?" he asked hesitantly.

"I wouldn't offer it if I did." She looked at him, then quickly turned back to the road. "It's part of this relationship thing, right? Taking care of each other. I think you've got the better part of the deal since I'm a doctor, but we can't all be winners."

"Hey, I'm a musician. I'll write a rock song about you." Houshou reached for a pillow in the backseat, snagging it along with a fleece blanket.

"Oh?" Her lips settled into a red smirk. "I look forward to hearing it then."

He settled into the seat and stretched his legs out, already feeling the pull of sleep at the corners of his senses.

_Guess I still need a bit more healing. Ugh, when am I going to stop feeling so tired?_

* * *

_Tuesday early evening - Carnival Theme Park_

* * *

The next thing he knew, someone was shaking his shoulder.

"Hey, Houshou. Get up, we're pulling into the parking lot."

_Huzah?_

He blinked, wiping away at the crust that had formed at the corners of his eyes.

"Already? I thought I was going to drive?"

She shrugged, concentrating on lining up the car perfectly in the parking spot.

"You looked so cute sleeping, I didn't have the heart to wake you. Besides, that way you got to miss Naru's message of 'where are you you're late'?"

_Thankfully._

"We're the last ones to arrive, Lin and Osamu got here about an hour ago and have already unpacked. We're meeting in the hotel lobby, and then the four of us are going to check out the park at night." She unbuckled her belt.

"Are we splitting into teams?" Houshou yawned, feeling his jaw crack.

"Not sure. Naru didn't mention it, so either he will during the meeting or it'll be up to us." She shut off the engine and took the keys. "Feeling better?"

"Much," he said, nodding. "Thank you."

_I apparently needed that._

She grinned at him.

"Good. I'm glad you got a bit more rest."

Houshou climbed out from his side and cracked his neck, almost groaning in relief at the sharp pain; on the other said, Ayako was stretching, hands held high to the night sky .

"I've got the two backpacks," he called out, opening the backseat door and snagging them.

_Easier to carry than that giant bag of her._

"Great, then I've got my medical supplies."

"You can keep your set of matching bricks," Houshou teased, slamming the door shut. He looked around, noticing that the lot was about half full. "Huh. Is it just me, or are there a lot of cars here for the night?"

"There could be an event going on inside the park," suggested Ayako, walking past him and locking the doors. "Or maybe this place also doubles as the community parking lot?"

The two of them found a painted trail on the blacktop and followed it, Houshou stepping from star to star and Ayako ignoring them completely.

 _Gotta find fun when you can_ Houshou thought as he jumped to the last star.

"Whoa... do you see the hotel?"

Ayako studied the building, which was overflowing with everything and anything green. The scent of greenery was heavy on the air, but it was sprinkled with a light perfume as the same time. Golden lights warmed the windows and made the whole place look like a painting come to life.

_Who was that artist who always drew light? Kincaid? Kinkade? Something like that - this looks like one of his pictures come to life._

"It's beautiful..." sighed Ayako, tilting her head towards it. "Full of life, and energy too."

_Wholesome._

"HEY!"

They both turned to see Mai jogging up the path next to them, waving both hands frantically.

"Wow," she said skidding to a stop nearby. "What took you guys so long?"

"Packing," said Houshou.

"Crazy driving," explained Ayako.

Mai's face swung between the two of them.

_She looks like she's trying to sniff something out... can she tell that we decided to date?_

Houshou rubbed the back of his neck, fingers digging into stiff muscles.

_Huh. Guess I slept a bit wrong._

"Riiight." She looked at both of them a bit longer, then shrugged. "Anyhow, you guys are going to love this place! They've added and redone so much stuff I feel bad I haven't been back in so long."

"Can you grab my backpack? It's the red one Bou-san's carrying."

"I can handle it."

The two of them looked at each other. Ayako grabbed the bag, but Houshou refused to let go.

_I can carry it, it's not that heavy._

Ayako gave him a look.

"Why waste an opportunity to put Mai to good use?" She laughed at the look she got from the younger girl. "And since we're rooming together, it's an even better idea."

"If it'll make Naru stop complaining about wasting time," huffed Mai, the remark allowing her to take the backpack from Houshou.

_Good to know some things don't change._

"Besides," said Ayako, bumping into him with her hips. "It's not like we're going out."

_That's the game, huh?_

Houshou bumped her back and mouthed the word  _really?_ at her.

"So what did you do today Mai?"

_Is all that energy from this place, or sugar?_

"The four of us went 'round the park looking for hotspots."

"Find any?" asked Houshou, adjusting his backpack so that it didn't dig into his shoulders so much.

_I'm sure this place pulls ghosts from all around - emotional locations are like vortexes._

"Yes and no."

_Huh? What kind of answer is that?_

Mai wrinkled her face when they both turned to her for more information. "Can't say more, under orders!" She legged it forward, getting to the circular door and pulling it open to reveal a lobby with all the SPR members, and a young man behind the hospitality counter.

"Glad you both decided to show up," said Naru, walking over to them. "Next time you're going to be late, call."

_Wait... is he pissed that we were late, or that we didn't call?_

"Sorry Naru," apologized Ayako, giving a small bow. "We were almost involved in a car accident."

He frowned, his gaze switching between the two of them as if choosing who to question first.

"What happened?"

"Nothing much," Houshou found himself explaining, meeting their boss's eyes. "Just some crazy person going down the wrong way of the interstate. Deliberately severing to hit us."

Naru flinched as the others gathered around to ask if they were okay; the monk felt a little sorry about bringing up bad memories, but there wasn't any other way to phrase it. The wave of family became cloying, too warm, and over smothering.

_Okay, I need to get out from underneath everyone._

"Hey, John." He waited until he'd gotten the man's attention before he continued. "Where's our room?"

"Through the green  _noren_ ," the priest replied. "It might be easier if I walk you there."

"Give us a minute to drop off our stuff Naru, then we'll be back for the meeting." Houshou said, waving as he followed John past even more leaves and flowers.

_It's so much easier telling him that we're going to do something instead of asking._

"I'm glad that you and Ayako are okay," said John as soon as they stepped into the hallway. "That must have been scary."

_All my years of driving and that's never happened._

"I was more worried they would turn in the same direction as us. Oh, wow..." Houshou gasped as John turned on the lights to the last room in the hallway. There were two extra large beds, a small table to sit at, and a large TV with a beanbag plopped in front of it, complete with the latest system and a poster of available games. "Just for us? This Melly really wants us to solve the case, doesn't she?"

"Either that, or she's very thankful for taking her seriously,"John's voice was low. "From what Mai said, it sounds as if some people have laughed at her 'ghost' problem."

_Yeah... funny things, ghosts._

He looked around the room again, then turned off the lights.

"We should probably get back, I'm sure Naru's steaming from the ears at this point," snickered Houshou.

"I think he's just hungry," confided John. "He didn't have anything to eat for lunch earlier today and we haven't had dinner yet."

"Nothing?" Houshou shot him a look and the priest shrugged.

_That seems strange._

"I don't think he's sick of anything, I just think he forgot to eat."

"Things are that exciting already?"

"No, it's just that this is the first time we've covered a place so big and with so many people. While we're here though, how are you doing?"

_Fine._

"I'm fine, John," Houshou made sure to smile at his friend. "A little tired, but ready to dive right in."

Those blue eyes blinked at him, checking him out from top to bottom, and it was all the monk could do to not stick his tongue out. He must have pass muster as the Aussie returned the smile, rubbing the back of his head.

"Just... if you need an ear, or if there's anything I can do for you..."

Houshou nodded as the sentence trailed off.

_Should have seen this coming._

"I promise I'll say something."

"Good. I trust you."

 _"Or should I say, 'we can't trust you."_ He blinked, startled, but John had already turned to leave the room and hadn't noticed. Together they made their way back to the lobby, ducking under the  _noren_ to rejoin the group.

"Good," Naru said, spotting them. "You two are the last of us. First off, let me say that I was remiss in not setting up a dinner reservation for tonight, so tomorrow we shall be debriefing in a private room at the Cloudforest Cafe. Tonight, please find dinner on your own and give Lin the receipts for reimbursement. Second, we'll be splitting into a day and night group to see what the problem is here. All of those that just arrived, please take three or four hours to go through the fairgrounds and mark down any unnatural occurrences that you might experience."

Houshou looked over to see John grinning, a hand placed over his mouth to hide it from Naru.

"What are you laughing at?" he whispered, leaning closer.

"Earlier today," John replied softly, "Naru said he wasn't going to pay for dinners, and was only going to give a sen for lunch. I'm guessing that Mai tattled on him to Lin, since when he got here they had a private chat, and now this."

"Can't be cheap when paying your specialists," Houshou nodded. "Did you find anything unusual earlier?"

"For us? Nothing much. For this place? Naru wants the night crew to draw their own conclusions."

Houshou sighed.

"Yeah, Mai said the same thing. I just don't want any more surprises."

John patted him on the shoulder as they kept moving.

"Understandable. In this case though, I can promise you that we're not holding back on anything we might think is dangerous." There was a glance toward him. "We don't want anyone getting hurt after all. It's just to make sure the information is the same, since what we got was different from what Melly told SPR."

_If I can't trust John, then who can I trust?_

"Your promises is good enough for me," said Houshou, clapping John on the back. "Do you four have any places that you wanted to check out specifically?"

Ayako gave Houshou a map of the park.

"I'm interested in the shrine of course, and in the Garden Maze. You guys?"

"I think you should check out the Picnic Area," added John, pointing out the area on the map. "In addition to what you already mentioned."

"I think Osamu should have a partner as well," said Lin, coming up behind Ayako. "The rest of us have at least one offensive capability, but all we can ward him with is defense. Osamu, do you have a preference of partner?"

"Bou-san!" He declared dramatically, throwing himself onto one knee and grabbing the monk's hand. "Willst thou allow me to be your partner?"

Ayako snickered, giving Houshou a look.

_Well, she called it._

"Of course my fair Shonen!" he said back, clasping Osamu's hand in his. "We shall be the best pair."

"Then that's settled," Lin said. "We'll meet back at the hotel before two, then meet for lunch tomorrow."

Osamu grabbed one of the pamphlets for him and Houshou, then clipped one of his pens to the side.

"Where do you want to go?"

Houshou looked over at John.

"Let's check out the Picnic Area," a finger poked the area, then trailed along the outer edge. "We can wander around here, maybe hit the Lazer Tag section?"

_I'm not sure if that was a hint for a place that needs further checking, or if that was John's way of saying the better food it there._

"Then I'll take the outer section, the Flower Tunnel and the children's play area."

_Not a bad idea to check that out at night, I think we'd be called perverts during the day._

"Sounds like a plan," said Naru. "Message me if you need to, I'll be watching the data stream in from the places we've already set up the instruments."

The group gave their goodbyes and left, most of the day shift retiring to their rooms as Naru went off to meeting room that was their command center.

"Did you want to eat something first?" asked Osamu, walking next to Houhou. "They've got cotton candy, candy apples, even choco-bananas."

"How about some actual food kid? There's gotta be fried rice, hot dogs, or hamburgers. here After almost being squished on the road, I could do with a bite."

"Okay… but I'm holding you to cotton candy later on."

Houshou ruffled Osamu's hair.

"Where have you been hiding this sweet tooth of yours? I didn't think you had one."

Osamu ducked out from under the hand and struck a superhero pose.

"For the sake of my studying, I find that it's better to graze on nuts and seaweed than it is to eat chocolate snacks and cakes."

The monk regarded him for a few seconds.

"Translation: Mai keeps taking all the snacks you bring to your study sessions."

Osamu blushed.

_Ha, called it!_

"Well, when you put it like that, yeah… by the time I let myself have one as a treat, about half of them are gone. When she's concentrating on something, she becomes a habitual snacker."

"You should get some of those wasabi chocolates. Betcha she won't take your chocolate again after biting into one of those!" The two of them laughed at that, drawing the attention of several older couples wandering around the park.

_Strange… it's all couples. Aren't there any groups that hang out anymore?_

Houshou turned his thoughts to the area around them. There was a tantalizing scent of pizza, hot dogs, and even beer wafting around, which was overwhelmed by bells ringing and whistles going off.

"Is this the Picnic Area? I can smell food around here."

"We're close," said Osamu, looking over the map. His fingers darted out to hit two places, "but if you look here, we're in Games Alley, which is behind the Picnic Area."

A quick glance around showed him a shooting booth, a dart popper, and even a water gun racing game, along with a bored looking man selling stuffed animals in clear balloons.

_I should have guessed._

"Hey Bou-san, I'll meet you at the Picnic Area!" Osamu said suddenly, turning around and giving a wave. "Get me something sweet!"

"Shonen!" Houshou called out, taking a step forward and watching as the kid seemed to disappear into the dark.

_What the hell was that? Where did he go?_

He took another half-step forward, flinching as a victory bell went off behind him. The area was too noisy, and he could only think about how much hurt and pain could be covered up by the sounds. He rubbed clammy hands against his jeans, leaving a darkened trail cross the fabric.

"Naru's going to kill me if you come back injured," he groaned, rubbing his face.

_Such dark thoughts already. Great._

Taking out his own map to study again, the monk sighed, absently rubbing his chest as he began heading left along the pathway. past the Shooting Gallery and the calls of the staff member trying to entice him into playing it.

 _It kinda feels weird that healing isn't the first thing on my mind anymore, he_  thought, the food smells getting stronger.  _Taking two months to get rid of those casts, Dr. Darren dredging this stuff up again and again… but now I'm in the middle of people who are having a fun time. No darkness plaguing them. And I can't remember how that used to feel._

Houshou sat down at any empty table, a hand sinking into his hair to grip his scalp. The pressure stopped the advancement of those feelings, and with a bit of breathing room, he grabbed the prayer beads around his wrist, feeling each one.

"Namu Myouhou Renge Kyou," he whispered, touching another bead with each character's kanji that came to mind. Houshou could feel his heart beating, strengthening his body with each wave. His lungs drew in sweat breaths of air and left the smell of food to settle on his tongue. He tuned out the rest of the world happening around him, focusing instead on his body, on what he controlled. Then, when his body had settled down, his heartbeat lowered and his breathing steady, he repeated the phrase in his mind, allowing that peace to spread to his spirit.

"Bou-san?"

Houshou cracked open an eye to see Osamu standing before him, hands behind his back, looking at him with concern from behind his glasses.

_What's he hiding?_

"Are you okay?" One hand came out to push up on the bridge of his glasses. "If you're not feeling up to doing this, you can go back to the hotel, I promise I won't tell. And I won't get into trouble either."

_He's a good kid._

Houshou stretched, hearing several bones pop along the way.

"Nah, was just waiting for you. There are too many sweet things here for me to pick just one." A squeak sounded from the bench as he got up. "What are you hiding behind your back Shonen?"

Osamu's smile came back, bigger than it had been earlier that evening.

"I found something just for you, so you'll have to treasure it forever!"

"Your heart?" He asked, laughing.

"That's not something I would have found!" Osamu brought his hands to the front, presenting Houshou with… a balloon? "Look inside!"

While it was colored silver, the rubber was still stretched enough that he could see a small light brown teddy bear sitting in the middle of a batch of confetti.

"Is that…?"

Osamu actually cackled.

"The guy tried to keep me from buying it, it was supposed to be a rockin' bear-"

Houshou looked again, and sure enough, the bear was holding a little silver and red bass guitar.

"-but apparently they mixed up the costume with a monk. I was going to get you something funny, but I didn't know that I'd find something that was so… you!"

Houshou laughed, grabbing Osamu close for a hug.

"Thanks Shonen," he said, patting the younger man on the back. "This was a great gift, and it cheered me up a bit."

"I didn't think you needed cheering up," came the suspicious reply, backed by serious, dark grey eyes. "Truthfully, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Houshou said, feeling only a little twinge at lying. "Now, let's hit some of these food stands before we head out to the next place."

_And I am fine right now._

"Come on, let's get some food. When we get back to the inn I'll figure out where this little guy will go."

 


	4. Spiritual Sharing (Ayako's POV)

* * *

 

_Tuesday late evening - Carnival Theme Park_

* * *

 

Ayako let out a sigh of pure happiness. The center of the maze, though admittedly not a hard one, held a gigantic oak tree, its leaves full and rustling with the warm summer winds. 

"You are absolutely beautiful!" she declared, placing her hand on the rough bark of the trunk. "And to have grown so large, you must have been here for years!" 

**thank you** whispered a small voice.  **i have been**

"Oh? I see you've got a spirit too." The priestess looked around, and since no one else was in the area with her, stretched her hands up to grab the limb right above her head. The next few minutes had her climbing the lower branches, moving inward to where she was fairly certain she couldn't be seen or heard if she remembered to keep her voice down. "Hello again. I hope you don't mind my being closer to you." 

**_it has been a long time since anyone living has talked like this with me_ **

"Is it okay? I can go back down as well." Ayako nestled back against the tree, enjoying the strong feeling of thickness at her shoulders. "And you don't have to talk back if you don't want. I know human lives aren't that interesting to many older spirits."

**_they are still interesting to me_ **

"Then, do you mind if I talk about my life? I just..." she paused, trying to think of the words. "There are some things I just want to get off my chest. Air them out so I don't keep thinking about them over and over and over again.”

**_if you talk i will listen_ **

"That's very kind of you, thank you." Ayako patted the limb beneath her. "I've been very worried about my friends lately, especially one in particular. He's loud, obnoxious, and will play the most awful practical jokes. But..." she smiled, thinking back to when Houshou had gotten his cast off, then immediately returned with a thank you bouquet from the flower shop outside the hospital. "He's also one of the most caring people I know, helping out in whatever way he can, and staying strong in the face of adversity." 

**_he sounds like a good guy_ **

"Another problem with that though," Ayako added grimly. "is that he'll sacrifice himself for you. Literally." She shuddered as her mind flashed back to the cave, his broken body sprawled out in front of her.

**_is that a bad thing_ **

"It might be in our line of work. We cleanse areas of bad spirits, and there will probably be other times when he'll try to do so." 

There was silence from the tree spirit, but Ayako didn't pry. With years of having the ones near the hospital only telling her the times of patient deaths, having one talk to her as if they were a girlfriend was a rare treat.

**_does he make you happy_ **

The priestess considered that question, tilting her head back so that she could see the stars through the tree's upper branches and leaves. 

"He does, I think." She laughed. "He also makes me angry, annoyed, and exasperated sometimes, but he honestly does make me happy."

**_what is the problem then_ **

"I..." she trailed off, wiping at her eyes. "Sorry. It's just that the last couple of months have been very... emotional."

_ Hellish honestly. Between all the injuries in the group, Houshou being killed, making sure that damn disgrace to doctors was sent to court...  _

"He almost died. Did die, actually. And all my feelings came out and now we're going to start dating... but if he does die, because he's always trying to rescue people... am I setting myself up for a life of pain?" 

**_there is no happiness without pain there is no pain without happiness_ **

"I hate that phrase." Ayako frowned. "It's a simple platitude, said when people can't actually give any useful advice." There was a slight pause. "Not that that's what you're doing, of course. But for some people..." 

**_would you be happy without him_ **

"No." Ayako was sure of that. 

**_would you be happy with him_ **

"Until he dies." 

**_everyone dies so that should not matter for happiness_ **

Ayako tapped her cheek with the end of a nail. "Most people I know get very depressed when someone they love dies. And that feeling never goes away." 

**_yes but if the person makes you happy then hopefully the depression should not last as long as the good memories do_ **

The spirit grew quiet as Ayako thought about it. 

"So... you're saying the happy memories of one year would be enough to mitigate a remaining lifetime of sadness?" 

**_one year is a long time to know someone_ **

"And yet not at all. Twelve months is an awfully short time to be with anyone." 

**_there is a cafe worker who had a loved one die if you need to see it then look at them_ **

"Who? There's got to be a lot of cafe workers here." 

**_how did your friend come back to life_ **

Ayako accepted the change of topic with a nod.

"He's a monk, and due to injuries coupled with a very strong will, he accidentally left his own body when protecting the rest of us from a very harmful spirit. After that though, he and our boss got into some trouble with a mad doctor, and to save our boss, he borrowed another person's body. That's the one that ended up dead." 

**_so he did not inhabit his own body again_ **

"No. He was lucky enough to have his body still breathing, even in the horrible condition it was in." Ayako wiped away the tears that were flowing freely and thickly. "I don't know... I don't think I could stand that again. I can't be that strong again." 

**_no one ever knows if they are strong enough_ **

"I guess." Ayako didn't know what to say to that. 

**_it is just that no one wants to be that strong because it means they have to bear the pain_ **

"That's true." Ayako let out a low laugh. "You're surprisingly very good at figuring out human emotions." 

**_look around me_ **

Peals of laughter rang out from the treetop. 

"I didn't even think of that," giggle Ayako. "Most of the tree spirits I've met have been in remote areas, or shrines, where humans act in certain ways all the time. This place must have everything: happiness, anger, sadness, jealousy, a whole rainbow of emotions."

**_i do see a lot of people and their true selves_ **

"The problem about emotions is that they're all tangled in knots too." Ayako found a leaf and began tracing it, enjoying the cool feeling against her skin. "I'm worried about him, yes, and I think I have every right to be worried, but maybe... that's not all that I'm worried about?" 

**_it is okay to worry about yourself_ **

"... maybe." She cleared her throat. "The other thing that's in the back of my mind is that I haven't... I haven't had a good history of dating people. If you knew me, you'd probably pretend to be shocked. But all those men in the past, they've had words for me. Loud. Harsh. Obnoxious. Annoying. Not someone they'd want to date again, marry, or even drink with." 

**_you think he will behave in the same way_ **

"I'm worried about that, yes. Dating, then him figuring out that he doesn't want anything to do with me, and tossing me away like an unwanted scarf. Like all the others did." A harsh sob sounded in the leaves. "It's stupid, I know it's stupid, but I can't help feeling that way." 

**_you said he is already a friend_ **

"Yes... we've known each other for several years now. Through work. And we didn't always believe in each other."  _ A little bit of a lie - I believed in him from the beginning, much earlier than he believed in me and my abilities.  _ Ayako used the back of her hands to wipe away the tears that were falling faster down her cheeks. "I'm sorry. We've just met, and I'm already bawling." 

**_it is okay to cry_ **

"Crying shows weakness." 

**_crying shows that you have feelings that touch you deeply_ **

"... that's a beautiful thing to say." Ayako sniffed and grabbed a handkerchief from her purse, making sure that she kept her balance on the limb. "Thank you. Just by listening, you've helped me out a lot. Is there anything that I can do for you? Water? Something delicious for the soil?" 

**_i can not think of anything right now_ **

"My friends and I have a case here, so we'll be around for a while. I'll make sure to come back every time I can." 

**_can your friends hear me too_ **

Red fingernails drummed on one of the branches nearby as Ayako thought about it. 

"A few of them can't communicate with spirits, but a few others can, so it's possible. Mai and Masako are probably the two who have the best chances. Mai's natural barriers open when she's deeply asleep, so a lot of spirits will talk to her, or show her memories, in her dreams. Masako on the other hand, can meditate and talk to spirits, but I think it's more that she gets emotions from spirits, feelings that have intensified. And she can channel them of course. Sometimes she can hear them, and even speak with them, but it's rarer, or at least, she does it rarely. Did you want to communicate with them?"

**_That would be very strange for a tree spirit to want_ **

A gust of wind whirled through the leaves to tug on Ayako's red hair.

**_no i wanted to know more about you and your friends as you are the first to talk to me_ **

"You really have picked up on the human emotions around here, haven't you?" Ayako patted the branch she was sitting on gently. "I think that's a wonderful thing. Something I wouldn't mind doing if my spirit stuck around after." 

**_are you feeling better about your worries_ **

"... I am actually." She rubbed around her eyes, making a face when her fingertips came back black. "I'll have to go fix my make up in the bathroom so I don't look like a panda, but... yes. Thank you. I feel as if a heavy weight has been lifted from my shoulders, one that I didn't even know that I was carrying." 

**_that means you were carrying it by yourself for too long_ **

"Yeah..." Ayako sighed. "It comes with the territory. I'm the doctor of the group, and one of the oldest too." 

**_time spent alive doesn't mean maturity_ **

"Normally I'd agree with that, but with everything that happened in the cave. Being blinded and not being able to see my friends' injuries... to only hear as bones cracked and heads thudded against the floor." The smile on her face didn't feel like a happy one anymore, it felt more... feral. Fierce. "I've been the very model of maturity for the past few months."  _ And I could probably get a piercing for my bottom lip since it's been bitten enough.  _

**_maybe you should talk to him about your fears_ **

"...maybe..." said Ayako, not making any promises. 

**_you did not make a pinky promise_ **

_ A 'pinky promise'? This spirit really has soaked up energy from the kids in the area! _

"It's easier to talk to you about this," she protested. "Talking to him..." 

**_being friends means he should listen_ **

"Should doesn't always mean will," Ayako muttered, looking away from the tree. 

**_bring him here and talk to me_ **

There was a sharp inhale at that, and a few seconds of coughing. 

_ That's got to be a joke... right?! _

"Is that an order?" asked Ayako, rubbing her chest a little bit.

**_if you need it to be one_ **

Silence reigned within the leafy canopy. 

_ Could I bring Houshou here? It would be easy enough to do so physically, but could I act as the medium between the two? And why would the spirit be so willing to do that? Does it help them in some way?  _

"Would bringing him here to talk help you too?"

**_it would be nice to meet another person you have been talking about but i would not say it helps with anything_ **

"I can't promise that it will be soon then," said Ayako softly, "but if, when I can, I'll bring him here, and the three of us can talk." 

**_or you could be like those other teenage couples who kiss and make out_ **

Ayako laughed so hard she almost fell out of the tree. 

It took her at least a minute to stop laughing and gasping for air, with another ten or so minutes to climb down the tree so that she didn't tumble to the ground. After saying goodbye to the tree spirit, and making a pinky promise to come back later at least, with or without Houshou, Ayako took the time to find a pen in her purse. Leaning close to the fairy lights on the maze walls allowed enough light to jot down a few notes, and to cross out the maze itself as a likely haunted area. The tree in the middle of it was circled three times. 

"Okay," she said aloud, putting the pen back into her purse. "Where to next...?" 

_ Besides the toilet of course. I probably have black rivers running down my face. _

The Haunted House caught her interest, but there was also a small shrine on the park grounds. 

_ I should check to see if there are any other spirits there too. Or at least make sure that I have an area I can defend ourselves in it if needed. _

Deciding on the shrine, she looked for the quickest route, her finger following it as it left the area, took her past the public toilets, and put her right at the edge of the stairs leading up. Exiting wasn't as bad as trying to find her way through the maze earlier; apparently the tree was the goal since there were signs, arrows, that showed which direction to take. 

"Very much appreciated," she said aloud, breaking the relative silence surrounding her. There were some noises of course, but all of them were off in the distance, so it remained relatively peaceful. Ducking into the nearest bathrooms, Ayako looked into the mirror, rolling her eyes when she saw how much her "no run mascara" had trickled down her face. 

"Not quite a panda, but certainly a raccoon," she muttered to herself, fishing her lipstick, mascara, and some makeup wipes out of her purse. She wiped off what had smeared, and touched up the areas until she was satisfied with her reflection. Then she began to stroll down the deserted pathway, the sounds coming from attractions, which had already been quiet, now falling away to the louder noises of crickets and other chirping bugs.  

_ This is starting to be a little creepy, _ she thought to herself, making sure to stick close to any light source she could find. Which were the fairy lights and an ornate iron pole every few meters.  _ Are the walkways always this dark? And with how full the parking lot was, I assumed that the park would be full too, not this empty.  _

A rustle sounded nearby, startling her. Ayako froze, but it didn't happen again. 

_ It's fine, just something in the bushes.  _

Still, she sped up, the clacking of her low heels quickening. 

_ Maybe I should have taken Osamu? Or teamed up with Lin? _

"Maybe," she acknowledged aloud, glancing around her. "On the other hand..." She fished out her cell phone and raised it as if she was speaking to someone. 

_ I don't want to actually call them unless it's an emergency, but this should put off anyone who might be following me.  _

She continued walking like that until the itchy feeling between her shoulder blades faded away when she reached the entrance to the shrine, which was a lacquered red torii gate. 

_ Not sure if I was being followed or not, but at least I don't feel so exposed now.  _

Giving the environment around her another suspicious look, Ayako began to climb the stairs, taking the time to marvel at the fox statues that progressed up the steps with her on both sides, and then looking around her in disbelief at the top. 

"... I can't believe, with all of those stone statues, that this pace is fake!" she snapped at the area in front of her. Sure, it was a shrine, but it was a shrine for children to play with. The sign next to the fox priestess thanked the children for coming to help rid the shrine of the evil demons that were plaguing it, asking them to go around the park with special flashlights to find all of the bad spirits. 

"Ugh. Come on Ayako, this is a theme park, were you really expecting something different? Really? 

_ With all the greenery in this place, the tree elder in the middle of the maze, and that fact that those stone statues on the steps are real enough, I certainly wasn't expecting it to be fake.  _

"Hopefully we're not going to need my help on this case," she muttered snatching her pen and x-ing the map hard enough to tear the paper. "Though if I ask politely, maybe the maze spirit will help me?" 

A high-pitched giggle sounded in the night; Ayako's head whipped up, her eyes wide as she looked around. 

"Who's there?" 

Nothing. Just the fake statues, the "priestess," and herself. 

_ Was I really being followed earlier?  _

"I heard you - who's there!?"

She took a step to the right, closer to the anthropomorphic fox, and the giggle came again... with friends.

_ Is this one of the haunted areas?  _

"Thank you-"

Ayako shrieked, flailing as she jumped. 

"-for helping me!" finished the shrine priestess. "If those evil demons come back, please help me again!" 

She stumbled over to the steps and sat down, breathing deeply, on the first one, purse thudding onto the ground. 

_ fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck _

"Was not-"

_ In. Out _ . 

"...Expecting that." 

_ In. Out. Good, one more time.  _

"I really hope nobody heard me," she said, shaking her head. 

_ Either they'd call the cops or some psychiatrists to take me in. _

She sighed, the sound loud since the game hadn't been activated again.

_ Why is it on this late at night anyhow? Are there any little kids around to play it?  _

The hair on her neck began to tingle, standing on edge. 

_ No.. it should be shut off by now... it's almost ten... _

Ayako stood up, feeling exposed and vulnerable. As if someone was watching her from the darkness, waiting for a chance. 

_ No. This is not the time to start imagining things Aya.  _

But the clear, childish laughter she heard wasn't in her mind; it dribbled down the steps, sounding creepier the further away it traveled. The fairy lights in the bushes blinked, flashing on and off at her, and there was a grinding sound behind her left side. 

"I'm not looking," she said aloud, defiantly "I don't care what you're trying to do to scare me, I'm not going to give you the satisfaction."

"What?" 

Ayako spun around at the human voice, a flush building up as she realized the tall Japanese man in front of her was no ghost. On the plus side, the lights had stopped blinking and there were no more sounds of metal clawing into stone.

"Um, sorry," she stammered, stooping down to grab her purse. She clutched it, hearing the material creak in her hands. "The shrine priestess started talking, and then the noises just sounded creepy up here, so, um..."

"What are you on about?" He glanced at the fake shrine on their left. "This stuff's been off since nine at the latest, nothing's going to be moving or talking." 

_ Of course not.  _

"I guess I was imagining things then," Ayako said, letting out a little nervous laugh. She took a step backwards, then jerked to a halt as the guy grabbed her wrist. "Hey! Let go!" 

"Careful!" he warned her. "You're going to fall down the stairs if you jerk like that again." 

_ I can't tell if that's a threat or if he actually was trying to help me. _

Ayako went to move, but he didn't budge. 

"Let go!" 

He did so, and she rubbed the red spots on her wrist, looking up at him. Taller than Houshou and more around Lin's height, his face seemed permanently set in a scowl, and there were some scars across his cheeks. 

_ Those look like knife wounds. And he's really strong  _ Ayako realized with a shiver of fear.  _ He could overpower me and I wouldn't be able to do anything except scream.  _

"Sorry," he apologized, giving a slight bow. "I only grabbed so hard because I thought you were going to take a tumble. Wouldn't be the first time someone's died here." He let out a dry chuckle as he looked to the stairs.

_ Someone died here? Who? _

"What are you doing out here?" she asked, looking around them. 

_ Nobody else is here - just him and me. I really don't like this. _

"What about you?" he countered. "I work here at least." 

"Here, as in this shrine?" 

_ I thought it was just a game? _

"No, I work at the cafe. I just like to come here to relax." 

An image of the map came to mind, showing her that the Cloudforest Cafe was over by the Ferris Wheel, which could only be seen by the faint lights that shimmered through the treetops. 

_ That's... why is he here? That's pretty far away... _

 "If you work in the cafe, why are you here? Isn't this across the theme park for you?"

His eyes narrowed in the colorful lights. 

"So? Why are you, an adult, here by yourself in the kid's section?" He took a step forward; she mimicked him by taking exactly one back. "Waiting for a lover?" 

"What?" 

"It's not unheard of," he continued, gaining by another step. She took another as well. "Couples get off thinking they can make out, or even have sex in the closed sections. I've had to throw a few out myself." 

"I'm not waiting here for anybody!" Ayako snapped, her face heating up with embarrassment. 

_... shit! I shouldn't have told him that! _

"... why are you here then?" he asked again, stopping with a puzzled look on his face. 

"I came to visit the shrine, I didn't expect it to be fake!" 

"You... " he began to laugh, holding his stomach. "You honestly thought..?" 

Ayako didn't wait for him to finish his sentence. She spun and sprinted, letting his laughter follow her all the way back to where people gathered in the bright lights, screaming as they rode the rides. She slowed down, trying to regain control of her breathing. Breathing in the smell of sugar to coat what had been a frightening moment.

_ Not sure which one was creepier - the sound of kids' laughter with no one around me, or some huge guy grabbing my wrist.  _

Here though, surrounded by men and women of all ages, she was able to calm down. 

"Okay, back to work, and you'll hopefully never see that guy again." She shivered. "Ugh. I hate creeps."

The red marker circled the shrine and put a few notes about disembodied children's voices. 

"I didn't feel if the temperature dropped, but it could be what he said too - some couple looking for private time." Her nose wrinkled at the thought. "Isn't it more comfortable in a room?" 

"Isn't what more comfortable in a room?" asked a well-known voice behind her. She turned, smiling to see Osamu standing with an arm in Houshou's, the older man holding a balloon. 

"Long story, don't ask," sighed Ayako, slipping the map and marker back into her purse. 

_ I'll bring it up tomorrow at the meeting, but I would rather not right now. _

"You okay?" Houshou had apparently taken in her disheveled appearance, and judging by the dip in his eyebrows, was worried. She gave him a wan smile. 

_ Maybe I should mention what happened? _

"I am now. It was a little creepy earlier, but I've got a place for the rest of us to check out. How are you two doing?" she asked, deflecting the question onto them. 

"We checked out the Shooting Gallery, the Picnic Area, and we've been by a few of the attractions," said Osamu, "but none of our places seem haunted."

_ Lucky you.  _

"And Shonen found a rock-monk bear," laughed Houshou, holding up the balloon. The small smile on his face grew, and his eyes crinkled at the edges in happiness.

_... I haven't seen him this carefree in a while.  _ Ayako swallowed the lingering fear from earlier and grinned.  _ He doesn't need to know about Creepy Guy. I got away, and I'll never see him again. _

"It's cute!" She exclaimed, looking at the fuzzy toy in the middle of the balloon.

_ It fits him to a T as well.  _

"We were going to talk the long way back to the hotel-" began Osamu.

"-along all the dark paths so neither you nor Lin needs to walk them by yourselves," finished Houshou. "Are you sure you're okay Ayako? You're looking a little spooked. I know John said there's nothing to be worried about, but if you want to walk back with us...?" The question trailed off as he offered it. 

_ I'm tempted... very very tempted...  _

"No, but thanks," said Ayako, waving a hand. "I wanted to hit one more place, then call it a night." 

"If you're sure." 

_ How does he make a question sound like a statement?  _

"I am. But," she offered, "if you're interested, I'll tell you what I found out when I get back." 

She smiled as he nodded. 

"Sure thing; I'll wait for you in the lobby. Have you seen Lin around? We've only seen you." 

"He said he was going to the House of Mirrors, right?" 

"That'll be closed," Osamu said, breaking back into the conversation. "All of the exhibits that use a building close at nine, along with the children's play areas, but everything else, like the rides and the open-air places and the food stalls, those stay open until midnight." 

"And then the whole park closes," finished Ayako, looking around her at the crowd.

"It's a little after ten-thirty," Houshou said, looking at his phone.

_ I know we've been out for a bit, but isn't ten-thirty too earlier to be heading back to the hotel?  _

"Which is why we're going to take the long route back to the hotel," explained Osamu. "See if any ghosts are haunting the pathways." 

"I guess I'll head off too then," said Ayako, "Better than waiting around here for the night to grow creepier. Have either of you heard from Lin?"

Osamu and Houshou shook their heads. 

"Nothing yet... should that be something to worry about?" asked Houshou, a small crease appeared between his eyes.

_ He's probably thinking something's happened to Lin. I shouldn't have mentioned anything. _

"Not at all," said a smooth voice from behind them. "If you needed to check on me, you could have LINEd me, but as you can see, I had the luck to find everyone here." 

Ayako grinned, turning to see Lin entering the area. 

_ I feel much better knowing these guys are around. Hmm... this might not be such a bad case. We're finally back up to strength, and it'll be good to ease Houshou back into work with something small.  _

"Good to know," said Houshou, Ayako watching his shoulders relax. "We'll head down the dark, creepy path then, and meet up with you all at the hotel." 

"Sounds like a plan." Lin looked to Ayako. "The areas I've been given to look over are all closed. Would you mind if I joined you for anything you have left?"

_ Absolutely not! You can scare away the creeps! And maybe we can talk a little bit about Naru, Houshou, and how to help them keep their promises.  _

 


End file.
